Nicci Thompson and Jamie Mcdonald first realised last year why there was a serious problem with creating a film industry in Aberdeen.
The two RGU lecturers and cineastes looked at some of their previous endeavours with students and discovered they had all left the north east to find opportunities elsewhere: some to Edinburgh, a few to London and others as far afield as Europe and the USA.
As Jamie said: “There was no infrastructure in place, nothing to keep the youngsters here after they had graduated, no sense of a film-making community in the region.
“So we decided that if nobody else would do it, we would have to step up to the plate – and that was the catalyst for us setting up Crow House Projects.
“A lot has happened in a short space of time since then. Take a look for yourself.”
Outside the room where we were sitting was a film crew and actors shooting a scene for a new vet-related comedy drama called Shoulder Deep.
It was the last day of filming on a chill December day with a frisson to proceedings as evidenced by the cry of “Silence” when some interloper made a noise on the set.
Reader, that interloping numpty was me!
A real sense of community at work at Crow House Projects
Soon enough, though, the cast were back in their positions, and a collie was doing a fair Lassie impersonation as the production team got the material they were seeking.
Then, there was a quick break for lunch – all these people had been hard at work since 7am – and I was offered the chance to talk to some of those at the helm of the business.
In the last year, Nicci and Jamie and the latter’s wife and company director Polina Khodareva, have been joined by the likes of fundraisers Marcus Brabban and Dan McCollum and their chairman, Derrick Thomson, one of the leading campaigners in the ongoing Our Union Street initiative.
The city is working together with Crow House Projects
Their efforts have also been bolstered by former Belmont Filmhouse stalwart Colin Farquhar, the head of operations at OuterSpaces and vice chair at Culture Aberdeen.
And the city council has shown its commitment by allowing Crow House Projects to film scenes inside the Town House earlier this year for another movie Roast in Peace.
Jamie has no doubt that the main ingredient in moving forward is establishing a community with as many people involved in different roles and specialities as possible.
He told me: “Film-making is one of the most collaborative arts forms you can imagine. There’s everything from actors to directors to writers and musicians, make-up artists, special effects gurus, musicians, dancers, editors… the list goes on and on.
‘Look at the credits on a Marvel film’
“It’s all well and good if you have individual film-makers doing their own thing, but if you’ve ever seen a Marvel movie, the end credits can last for about 20 minutes.
“That’s how much it takes to produce a modern feature-length work. So, if we’re to be competitive in the north east, we have to assemble a full film-making community.
They have been boosted by £40,000 from the UK Government and are targeting other sources of funding, but for the moment, 90% of the participants are volunteers.
Yet, there was no sense of amateurism about their endeavours. On the contrary, guided by American director, Matt Hielsberg, who told me “there is no reason why Aberdeen can’t have a film industry”, everything was being done meticulously on and off camera.
And Nicci explained why the city should be doing more to promote what it has to offer.
‘Just look at all the attractions for filming in Aberdeen’
He said: “It’s a really unique place in terms of being a film centre. You can drive 10 minutes from here in one direction and you’re at the coast amid scenic villages.
“Then you can travel another 10 minutes and be in the mountains or forests.
“Then, you can go another 10 minutes and be at Dunnottar Castle or other striking pieces of history. And you have a city that’s granite and looks beautiful in the light.
“Sometimes, we’re a bit too downbeat in the north east. But our American friends, such as Matt, have been blown away by what they regard as a fantastic city for movies.
“We went out to Banchory-Devenick to film some scenes and we were going: ‘It’s a bit grey, a bit dull’. And the Americans were going: ‘Wow, we saw sheep, loads of sheep’. And these great Highland cows which also feature in this new film.
“Some production companies come to Scotland and spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on shooting here. Whereas, for us, it’s all on our own doorstep.”
Shoulder Deep could be described as a light-hearted romp. And yet, as Jamie explained, it’s based on a true story with distinctly dark subject matter.
He said: “It was inspired by our late friend, Tom Arthur, a vet who came from down south to the north east of Scotland and was thrown into the world of teuchters and farmers [and met his partner, Carolyn, in Aberdeen].
‘He was only 27 when he died’
“He originally pitched his story to us a few years ago, but he lost his life tragically while hiking in Colombia at the age of just 27 and we want to make this a tribute to him.
“He was so enthusiastic about it, but died due to an undiagnosed heart condition, so it means a lot to us that we get this right.
“Yes, it has comic elements – and there’s a huge snake in the script – but it’s also a heartfelt reminder of who gave the story to us in the first place.”
In the short term, these movies will be screened at a variety of festivals in London and America, with the aim of raising their profile and untapping other income streams.
But in the grander perspective, the ambition is to create feature-length films and offer students and other people access to an industry which requires multiple skills.
‘It’s about building up the profile’
Nicci said: “We’re giving some of the youngsters a baptism of fire, but they are responding well to the challenge and it has been very positive to see it happening.
“Our goal is to provide a ladder for people and it’s fairly simple: you come on board, you get trained up, you learn on the job and then you make the next move up.”
There has been plenty of talk about the cultural excellence which exists in the region, and the best way of bringing it together in a coherent structure.
At long last, Crow House Projects is proving that such big ideas aren’t strictly for the birds.
As Nicci said: “The likes of Derrick Thomson and [former Aberdeen Arts Centre chairman] Moray Barber have been helping us set up the business case.
“And we are building our own eco-system for the future.
“We could have the next Steven Spielberg, Chris Nolan or Martin Scorsese in the city, but never see them realise their potential because they’ve never had the opportunity.
“I think that’s tragic, so we can’t let it happen. And the buzz around this place gives me real optimism. It’s all fresh, a bit manic, a bit scary, but hugely enjoyable.”
The process has certainly captivated Matt Hielsberg, who quite literally left his house behind in Minnesota to be involved in Shoulder Deep.
He said: “Me and my girlfriend moved out of our apartment and put our stuff in storage, so we could come here. We’ll have to find a new place when we go back.
‘I’m 100% behind this venture’
“But I’ve seen so much talent and drive and creativity since I arrived that I am 100% convinced Aberdeen should have its own film studio.
“There are so many people up here who want to work in the industry and whom it would be good to have in the industry. I really want this to be a success.”
In the past, gifted film-makers such as Peterhead’s Jon S Baird have been forced to leave their roots to bring their big dreams to fruition.
We are still in the early days, but given what I witnessed at their base in Shiprow, this venture could be something for Aberdeen to crow about.
Further information can be found at www.crowhouseprojects.com
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